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Try it freeATLANTA — Charged with doing more with less, the Mets hope they will maximize their draft haul beginning with a two-way player.
In a draft haul weakened by past spending aggression, the Mets opted for Mitch Voit — announced as a second baseman and righty pitcher out of the University of Michigan, although the Mets’ plans for Voit were not immediately known — with their late first-rounder on Sunday.
Voit had given up pitching last season in his junior season, when he slugged 14 home runs and posted a 1.140 OPS in 56 games.
The Mets have drafted several collegiate two-way players the past few seasons, although none has stuck: 2023 third-round pick Nolan McLean tried doing both professionally before focusing solely on hitting midseason last year, while last year’s first-round pick, Carson Benge, gave up pitching as he turned pro.
The Mets’ first pick was docked 10 spots — from No. 28 to 38 — because the Mets exceeded the CBT threshold by more than $40 million last season.
They did not have a second-round pick because they signed Juan Soto, who had been tagged with a qualifying offer.
They were set to select just one more time on Day One, at No. 102.
The Mets will have $5,465,900 to shell out to their draft picks to lure them into signing, which trails every team except the Yankees.
With the exception of Kumar Rocker — who did not sign in 2021, giving the club an extra first-rounder a year later — the Mets have not used a first-round pick on a sole pitcher since 2017.
Since then, the Mets have selected outfielder Jarred Kelenic (2018), infielder Brett Baty (’19), outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (’20), Rocker, infielder/outfielder Jett Williams (’22), catcher Kevin Parada (’22), infielder Colin Houck (’23) and Benge (’24) in the first round.
Benge has played well enough in his first full pro season that he earned a spot in Saturday’s Futures Game.
The lefty-swinging outfielder owns a .907 OPS in 73 games between High-A Brooklyn and Double-A Binghamton.